Whether one creates his own Adult content, buys it, or leases it, some day he’s going to be confronted with a cold, hard fact: Models are the lifeblood of Adult entertainment. Finding them, employing them to their maximum potential, and keeping them happy very well could mean the difference between success and failure. Karl Edwards knows that. Edwards is the president, owner, and chief photographer for Bedfellow.com, one of the gay community’s most popular erotic Web sites. He’s held that position for eight years. In addition to his 20 years of experience behind a lens, Edwards also has worked in retail sales. He credits both careers with giving him ample opportunity to observe and practice social engineering in a positive way, and practicing what works while dumping what doesn’t has made him one of the most successful talent scouts in his field.
We sat down for a conversation with Edwards, whose wit and candor certainly were helpful to us. He says those traits are helpful in almost any endeavor, including finding and working with models. His advice and counsel, it should be noted, are applicable across the Adult entertainment spectrum. If you deal with models – or plan to deal with them – read on.
AVN Online: You’ve spent a lot of years honing your skills at, as you jokingly put it, “finding attractive models and tricking them into shooting for you.” Why is it so important to Bedfellow to create its own content?
Karl Edwards: Original content is important in establishing a brand surfers can identify with. That’s true whether you run a gay business or a straight one. The tools exist now to make a porn site available to anyone, but that leads to “sameness,” and consequently, boredom for surfers. To be successful, you have to give surfers a reason to visit your site instead of someone else’s. Differentiating your site from all the other choices out there is key.
AVN: Offering original content is the best way to do that?
Edwards: Original content is one way. Technology is another, but people honestly prefer substance to a flashy interface. The video game industry is a good example: Five years ago, the video game industry was chasing technology. Every new game had to have some really spectacular tech effects to catch the attention of gamers, but that got old. Now people buy good games, not just flashy effects.
AVN: So what you’re selling is more important than how you sell it?
Edwards: Not exactly. A good sales pitch and technology that works are important, but compelling, unique content is what sells. Remember the comic book industry back in the early ‘90s? One issue of Spider-Man had four different covers – the same content on the inside, but consumers bought all four versions because the different-covers approach was an interesting sales tool.
It did well initially, but in the long run the sales pitch stopped working because most consumers wanted the stories inside the comic books, not just the covers. The Internet is a lot like that. It’s a means to an end; just one way to consume product. It’s a package. That said, many Web sites have different sales pitches, but once a surfer gets inside the package, he finds the same content he can get at hundreds of other places.
AVN: In that case, it seems like creating your own content would be imperative for those who want to set themselves apart in cyberspace.
Edwards: Again, that’s not necessarily true. There are two basic ways to acquire unique content: Arrange for exclusive deals with people who create the kind of content your surfers want, or make your own.
AVN: That’s where some people seem to run up against a stumbling block. Start with the basics: How do you find all those gorgeous bods and fresh faces you post at Bedfellow.com?
Edwards: We use several methods to find fresh faces. Ads in print and posters in appropriate, high-traffic locations bring in lots of response. Bedfellow.com also sponsors events at local clubs, and we troll the usual escort hangouts. One of the best ways to find new models, I’ve found, is to use previous models as talent scouts: We give them a cash bonus for sending us someone we actually shoot, but you have to be really careful to spell out the terms of that kind of arrangement up front to avoid misunderstandings.
AVN: You mentioned print advertising. Where do you put those ads, and how do you get them noticed?
Edwards: I’ve found that “alternative” publications work well for soliciting models. As for getting them noticed, there are three basic components to a good model ad: a “grabby” headline – “We pay cash!” works well – a section that spells out exactly what you’re looking for, and contact details. For extra effect, you can add a catchy, clean graphic of some sort. Keep in mind that the purpose of the ad is to get the model to call, not to sell them on modeling. Try something like “Wanted: Amateur male models. Fit and attractive guys 19-26 for nude photos – NO SEX. Pays cash.”
AVN: So you’ve got your ads out there, and potential models are starting to call. What now?
Edwards: Now the real work begins. It’s not always easy to talk to models, but talking with them is the most critical part of the process. The first contact is typically by telephone, which means neither of you really knows anything about the other person. Don’t try to sell the caller on the shoot; just get him or her to come to the office for a face-to-face meeting. Be confident, forthright, courteous, and caring. Convince them you’re a nice person they can’t wait to meet.
One thing not to do, ever: Never discuss money with a model before the live interview. Some models are doing this to prove to themselves that they can; that they really are as good looking or as sexy as they think they are. You won’t know if you can use them until you see them, and if you’re not going to use them, the amount you’re willing to pay doesn’t matter – and it’s always negotiable, anyway.
AVN: Negotiable? What do you mean by that?
Edwards: Some new models are looking to break into the business, so they may not be as interested in money as others are. And I don’t mean to sound callous, but you always want to pay as little as you can. Depending on the model, that may be a cell phone bill or a car payment if they’re having a tough time. I’m not suggesting you take advantage of anyone, but value is relative. Whatever you pay, always represent it as top dollar.
AVN: But don’t discuss money at all until you’re sure you want to use the model, right?
Edwards: Exactly. The face-to-face interview is actually the most critical part of the process, because the model is actually interviewing you. You want them to decide this is something they want to do, because in the end it means money in your pocket. It can be pretty daunting to an interviewer who’s new at it.
AVN: So give us some tips. How do you go about interviewing models so that everyone feels at ease?
Edwards: First, make up your mind that you have to be who you need to be to get the model’s trust. Start the interview with direct questions: How old are you? Gay or straight? Penis size? Hairy or smooth? Be specific about your needs; the model can’t fill in the blanks. He may be petrified, not the brightest bulb in the box, or a jerk. Give the model a chance to ask questions: He’ll be more at ease if you make him feel like you’re genuinely interested in ensuring he’s comfortable with the job. And above all, if you’ve decided you want to use the model, don’t forget to ask for the close specifically.
I know that makes it sound like a sales job, and in a way it is: You’re selling the model on working for you in a way that’s ultimately going to benefit you both. If you think the model is going to work out but you’re not completely convinced, ask him to do a test shoot. That’s also a good way to approach a really promising model who’s still uncertain about whether he wants to get involved. Once you have him in the studio and he sees how easy and comfortable and fun it is, he’ll have no problem taking off his clothes.
AVN: Do you recommend doing a test shoot before “the real thing?”
Edwards: We always do test shoots for Bedfellow.com, but we always get value out of them, too. Our test shoots are done as live shows for one of the Web sites. That has a number of benefits. We have a remote pan, tilt, and zoom camera that can be controlled from across the room, so the models feel more relaxed because there’s not some guy with a camera looming over them, yet they still realize that they have to perform while being watched. Our members enjoy it, because they get the sense that they can help direct the shoot. It gives them an investment in the Web site community, and they dig the fact that the models are nervous and sometimes can’t get it up right away.
AVN: Inexperienced models often have trouble performing what are normally very personal acts for an audience, don’t they? Do you ever help them out chemically? Give them a glass of wine, perhaps?
Edwards: No – oh god, no! Things very seldom go horribly wrong at a shoot, but if something does, you don’t want to give the model any reason to come back at you. Sometimes, after they’ve finished a shoot, a model will have a change of heart. The last thing you want to hear in that case is “He got me drunk!” We don’t even go the Viagra route.
AVN: So you find it best to keep everything “au naturel.”
Edwards: That’s what works best for us. Of course, I have to be frank: We’re outside the mainstream of Hollywood-type porn. We’re not a Vivid; we don’t put out a porno a week, so we don’t feel that same pressure. Other photographers find different methods work for them when they’re shooting high volumes, and that’s great. We can take a little more time to get what we want out of a model, and there’s always editing. In fact, the public should be really, really glad we edit these videos. They don’t know what we protect them from! Don’t make me tell you about Shit Twink….
AVN: Please don’t. We love horror stories, but that one might be just a bit too horrifying. Maybe we should move on to something else.
Edwards: That’s probably wise. I can tell you that between the personal interview and the test shoot, we eliminate almost all the models that really won’t work for one reason or another. By the time we’re finished with the test shoot, we may lose one in fifty models. Often it’s because their wiener is just too small to look good on film. I’m sorry to have to say it, but four inches just isn’t going to show up. Sometimes they just can’t get it up or they can’t deliver a money shot for an audience. At that point we hand them their model release and the digital videocassette as a souvenir and wish them well.
AVN: And you don’t pay them. How do they react to that?
Edwards: They know the shoot didn’t go well, and they appreciate that we give them the video and the model release, because then they know we won’t exploit them. I explain to them very carefully, after they’ve signed the model release, exactly what’s expected of them during the test shoot: “You have to take off all your clothes and masturbate to orgasm, and if you can’t do it, I can’t pay you.” That keeps us from having a distraught model careening through the office, clutching her pearls and screaming, “I want my money!” And we’re honest with them if they want to know why we won’t be using them.
AVN: You tell a model his penis is too small?
Edwards: If that’s the problem, then yes. It’s always best to be honest with models, but the trick is to stage the truth in such a way that it won’t make them feel bad. “You’re a good-looking guy or you wouldn’t be here, but the camera just doesn’t love your wiener.” We really try to treat all of our models with respect, even the ones who don’t make the cut, because it’s the kind thing to do and because not doing so could affect our reputation. I said before that our models are some of our best recruiters. It’s really true that cute people tend to hang out with cute people, so we want them to refer their friends; tell them, “It’s really not what you think. It’s fun, and they’re nice people to work with.”
AVN: What other things do photographers need to keep in mind in the studio?
Edwards: It goes without saying, of course, that you have to keep good records and get good IDs. You also need to have a plan: a storyboard in your head. You don’t want models just getting out there and running the show. That’s not to say that you don’t want them to have a sense of power. They should feel like they’re in control, whether they are or not. I act like a buffoon in the studio – a complete twit – to give the models a sense of power and build their confidence and make it fun for them, but I’m always in control. Another thing is to keep your mouth shut, except to give constructive direction. None of this “Oh, I think you’re hot. You’re so hot.” No one wants to hear that. The guys who are watching don’t care. They have other things to be doing, and it just distracts and annoys them.
AVN: Anything else?
Edwards: Don’t be alone in the building with a model, ever. You don’t need that kind of trouble. You can be alone in the studio, but make sure there are other people in the building, just in case. And if the model experiences a problem, don’t panic. Remain calm, and things usually will work out just fine. You can always have the model come back and try again another time. Working with models can be pleasant for everyone, if you remain in control and learn how to talk to them in terms they understand and can appreciate. Not everyone who works in porn should become a pornographer, but if you find you’ve got what it takes, it’s a great way to make a living.
